Delicacy
by Nirrti
Summary: The first ever Star Trek, The Next Generation MPREG. PicardOMC. A little explored genre, which is odd considering how easy it is to explain in this fictional universe.
1. Chapter 1

Jean-luc rested his cheek against the seat of the toilet and breathed deeply; which was possibly not the best of moves considering that he had just deposited the menu of an ambassadorial dinner into the bowl. The scent of curdled Fitorus milk had him dry retching.

He forwent brushing his teeth and made do with a squirt of refresher gel to get the taste from his mouth. He knew that he was going to have to see Beverley about this soon. This was not merely a reaction to the rich foreign foods demanded by the current talks; he was obviously unwell.

Crumpling into bed, he wrapped himself in the soft maroon cover and hit the comm badge resting on the bedside table.

"Picard to Crusher."

"Crusher here. How can I help you Captain?"

"Could you come to my quarters please? I believe I may have had a bad reaction to this evening's dinner."

"Of course Captain. I'll be right there."

Jean-luc realised that he had fallen asleep when the door chime sounded and awoke him. He had felt more tired lately, but not being able to remain awake for a few minutes, whilst expecting someone, was unusual enough to be concerned about. The door chimed again.

"Come."

Beverley looked concerned herself.

"Jean-luc. I've been standing there for five minutes, are you alright?"

"Apparently not. My apologies Beverley, I fell asleep. This is one of the problems that I have been having. I seem to feel tired all the time."

Beverley frowned, "I thought you had food poisoning."

"Yes. Well, maybe not poisoning. Shortly after the talks began I started to feel nauseous. It started out mild but it seems to be getting worse. It always happens in the evening, so I thought that it was probably the food. Perhaps I am allergic to something that we are eating at these dinners."

The medical tricorder buzzed and whirred as though it was collecting answers, which in some ways, it was.

"Have you actually been sick?"

"Yes, for the last three or four days."

"JEAN-LUC," she sounded indignant, "Why didn't you come to me earlier?"

"I thought that it would go away. I really didn't think it was particularly serious. Is it?"

"I can't see any signs of allergic reaction or food poisoning. There's no sign of virus, infection or unusual bacteria in your blood. Your hormone levels look strange though. Lie back on the bed and let me give you a full examination."

"Do you really think…"

The Doctor's hand on his chest ensured that he followed her instructions and with a sigh, he lay back on the bed and kicked the covers off so that he was hidden only by the grey pyjama bottoms. Beverley scanned him in regions, whilst also examining muscle tone, skin condition, nerve reaction. She ceased her medicinal roaming when she reached his abdomen. For a moment, Jean-luc though that she looked shocked, but she recovered quickly and looked him firmly in the eye.

"Jean-luc, I need to ask you a couple of very personal questions and I need you to actually answer them. Can you do that?"

"Beverley? What have you found?"

"Will you answer a couple of questions?"

Jean-luc swallowed deeply. He had no idea what she could possibly ask that would require this strategy, but it was obviously serious. His answer was almost a whisper.

"Yes, of course."

She nodded, professionalism rearing to the surface above her own feelings, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She took hold of her friend's hand and looked him directly in the eye again.

"Jean-luc, are you homosexual?"

He gaped like a fish for a moment, unable to quite recover his usual calm.

"Beverley, I, you, don't, I mean, really.."

She raised her other hand and gently stroked his cheek.

"Jean-luc? I need you to answer the question."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. It was a terribly intimate gesture and Beverley knew, just from the lack of sexual tension, what his answer would be.

"Yes."

Their foreheads remained pressed together, their hands clasped, their eyes closed.

"Have you been sexually active recently?"

She heard him huff in his breath a little deeper, drawing strength from the very air before he answered.

"How recently do you mean?"

"Jean-luc!"

Another breath, another sigh.

"I was involved with someone at the Garganta dig. That was nearly four months ago, I wasn't sure if you would consider that recently. I haven't been involved with anyone since."

"Okay, this will be the most difficult question for you. I need to know if you had penetrative sex and if he ejaculated inside you."

The pause seemed to exist outside normal time. They remained frozen in tableaux, a portrait of what Beverley was delighted to find was a genuine friendship and not something borne of unfulfilled attraction. Many people on the ship believed that the Captain was attracted to her, she had heard the gossip, some believed them to be involved. The consideration had put a distance between herself and her friend. She had not wanted to encourage an advance. A gay man was unlikely to make such an advance though, wasn't he. Jean-luc tried to comprehend what was occurring. He was not at all happy with this intrusive line of questioning, he was a private man and this was a private matter. But this was Beverley, she might nosily ask but she wouldn't pressure him or impress a sense of severity upon him if it was not necessary.

"Yes, to both questions. Why do you need to know this?"

"Just one more question. The man that you were involved with, was he human?"

Jean-luc frowned. Where on earth was she going with this? He at first assumed that she thought he had contracted some kind of sexually transmitted disease that was exclusive to gay men. Whether or not his partner was human, would have little bearing on that though.

"No. Theich is Nashiran. He was participating in the transfer exchange scheme, to convert his skills so that he would be part of Starfleet as well as the Nashiran Control. What does this have to with me feeling unwell?"

"Jean-luc. Of goodness, I really don't know how to tell you this. I needed to rule something out, considering it happened to Deanna. With what you've told me though, I would have to say that it is perfectly natural."

"What is perfectly natural?"

Beverley took a deep breath and grasped her friend's hands firmly.

"Jean-luc. You are pregnant."

Silence. A breath. Calm. Focused eyes.

"That. Is. Not. Possible."

"Oh Jean-luc, of course it is. It isn't common, but then not many human men have relationships with Nashiran men. It's a little like the connection that occurs between humans and Betazoids or Deltans. Those that are too weak, can go insane from the emotional overload during sex. Well, I suppose that you would know that, wouldn't you?"

"Obviously. However, that does not lead to pregnancy. I cannot be pregnant."

"You can and you are. Nashiran men can procreate with both the males and females of their race, that obviously extends to humans as well. Nashiran pregnancies are considerably shorter than human ones, four months to our nine. As it has been nearly four months since you were last with ..since the dig… you must be at least four months pregnant now. It is impossible to tell how long the pregnancy will last, the baby is well developed. I would say that the development is closer to six months gestation but the size is equivalent to four months. I will just have to keep an eye on how things go, we might get a better idea of a due date a little later on."

"Later on? How things go? How long? Beverley, I cannot have a baby. Oh good God, this is not happening."

He buried his face in his pillow, growling deeply. He emerged looking no less scared and frustrated.

"I'm a starship Captain. I cannot give birth. Captains do not give birth."

"They do actually. I could name at least five off the top of my head and those are just the ones currently in service. Admittedly, they are all women, but that isn't the point. They are good Captains whilst being good mothers."

"I am not a mother."

"Well, that's an argument to have with Data really, definition by gender versus function. Functionally you are most definitely a mother, gender-wise I suppose Father would be more appropriate except for the fact that Fatherhood implies that you fathered the child rather than that you carried it and gave birth to it. The baby's father is Theek. Is that right?"

"Theich, more of a ch sound than a k. Rhymes with peach. Semantics aside, this is ridiculous, I cannot do this."

"You really don't have a choice. I am sorry but even if the baby was entirely human, you have gone well past the date at which we could legally terminate the pregnancy. You don't have any choice now, you will have to carry the baby to term. Jean-luc, I am going to give you some space to come to terms with this but I want you to keep something in mind."

"What?"

She took his hand and placed it palm down on his bare abdomen, pressing the fingers into the flesh. She then leaned close and whispered.

"You made this. You and Theich. You bound yourselves together and created life. Feel it Jean-luc. That is your baby. A son or a daughter. What will they look like? Your nose? Theich's eyes? Remember that it is your child that you are thinking about. Not an imposition. Not a problem hampering your will. Your baby."

Jean-luc continued to stare at his stomach long after she had removed hers, long after she had said goodnight and left the room, long after he should have fallen asleep. When he did fall asleep, his hand remained where it was, pressed against the place where his baby slept inside him. His last conscious though was of Theich and how he would have to contact him.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I wasn't showing at four months, with my first child.It was different with my second child, but this is Picard's first, so I decided that it suited my purposes to go with my own experiences. I'm sorry if this doesn't ring true for you. In further defence, there have been two scenes where Picard had to face the fact that he's got bigger over the years. I don't think a tiny amount of weight gain during a spate of ambassadorial functions would give him too much trouble.

_**Chapter 2**_

"Jean-luc, could you repeat that please. I think there might be a problem with the subspace link."

"What do you think I said?"

"It sounded like you said you are pregnant."

"Then the link is stable; that is exactly what I said."

"Seriously?"

Jean-luc sighed. He had no idea what reaction he would get when he called Theich but refusal to accept the news was not amongst his expectations.

"Yes Theich, I am entirely serious. It is also apparently too late to do anything about it."

On the screen, Theich narrowed his eyes at this comment.

"What do you mean "do anything about it"? You can't mean that you looked to end the pregnancy, can you?"

"I considered it, of course. But as I said, it's a moot point."

"Jean-luc, as the point is moot, I am going to put this moment down to cultural differences. Abortion is accepted on your world, on mine however it is considered illegal and immoral. On Nashira, pregnancy is considered miraculous and fated."

"That is due entirely to the low birth rate. It has merely been religified. I am not Nashiran…"

"No, but our child is, fifty percent anyway. I'd like you to consider these cultural differences when you make decisions concerning the baby or the pregnancy. Put it this way, if you had aborted and I became aware of it, I would have had to follow it into death. We believe that a child that has not yet found its way into the world would not be able to find its way in death. I would follow the child in order to lead it to the promiseland. It is a cultural difference, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. I am surprised at you Jean-luc, you are not usually dismissive of other cultures."

Jean-luc ran a palm over his tired face.

"Theich, I am very sorry. I am not myself today. This has all been a huge shock and I don't know what to do with myself. I've been preparing myself for this conversation all day; needless to say, it isn't going to my best plan. You haven't cut the connection yet though, so that is promising."

"I wouldn't run away from this Jean-luc. If you were thinking clearly, you'd have known that already. Look, I'm still on Starfleet time, I need to finish up the exchange period but if you would approve a request to transfer to the Enterprise then I could complete there. I want to be with you, you shouldn't be doing this alone just because I'm posted elsewhere."

Jean-luc sat staring amazedly at the screen in front of him, wondering if this was actually happening.

"You want to come here?"

"Yes. Jean-luc, I know that you are thinking purely about the baby and the fact that you thought that I ought to know about it. This isn't quite the shock for me that it is for you though. You didn't know you could get pregnant. I feel somewhat guilty because I assumed it wouldn't be possible either, Nashiran procreation is difficult enough as it is. I think I'm a step ahead of you because I'm thinking about us as well. The two of us and how our relationship turned out a little different than expected. We both said that we didn't want anything heavy and long term, it couldn't get much heavier or more long term than a baby. Regardless, I wouldn't come just for the baby, I would come for you as well, and for me. If we have a chance to see what we can make of this relationship, then I want that chance. We never actually ended our relationship, we just went back to out separate stations and carried on as before. Well, how about we don't. How about, I come to the Enterprise and we pick up where we left off and see what happens? I don't expect you to make a decision right away. It'll take me four days for my hitched lift to meet up with your ship. I'll let you think about it and I'll wait and see whether I get my own quarters or share yours."

Jean-luc was still staring at the screen where Theich beamed at him like a cheshire cat. He was pleased. He smiled softly but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He had no idea what he thought about this. He hadn't managed to wrap his brain around the "having a baby" portion of events, "having a family" and "living together" were concepts beyond his ability at that moment. Still, refusal would be rejection and he wasn't prepared to do that either.

"I wouldn't be comfortable approving the request myself.."

Theich's face fell, he looked mortified.

"I'll sort out the transfer, you should hear from Starfleet Command today. Theich, I know that we need to talk but can we do it face to face rather than like this?"

Theich agreed readily, willing to take whatever Jean-luc was willing to offer. It would only be four days after all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTNGxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jean-luc surveyed his assembled bridge crew with a growing sense of trepidation. So far the meeting had been run of the mill, each giving their report and commenting upon the reports of the others. Once they finished covering the ambassadors' final decisions on the talks, it would be time for Beverley to give her report. At least he would be spared having to say the words again himself.

"…so they agreed to get their energy emissions in line with the current protocols. It's all signed and sealed, so that really concludes the negotiations."

"The last of the ambassadors will be leaving tomorrow when we rendezvous with the Yosemite. We will also be taking on board member of the Nashiran Control, Commander Theich Dal Meritan. He is part of the transfer project and has two years left of his Starfleet conversion, which he will be serving onboard the Enterprise."

Will Riker sat up straight in his chair.

"Where did this come from Worf? I know nothing about this."

Jean-luc explained before the issue became bigger, "I am afraid that that is my fault. I authorised his transfer; I should have mentioned it to you sooner but it is tied up with another matter which I wasn't ready to discuss with you."

"Sir?"

"And that would make it time for my report."

"No offence Doctor but I don't think we have finished with this topic yet."

"Will, please sit down. I need to give my report and I would suggest sitting."

The Commander took his seat again. This was unusual. Beverley closed her eyes and accessed her professionalism.

"The Captain called me to his quarters a few days ago, he was feeling unwell and thought that the foreign cuisine might have been to blame. It wasn't. I discovered that the Captain's symptoms were entirely normal, under the circumstances. Captain Picard is approximately four months pregnant. It is difficult to estimate how long the pregnancy will last, as the father is not human and his species has a different gestation cycle to humans. The baby is developing in an unusual way, but considering the genes involved, I don't think that it is anything to worry about; the baby appears to developing well and is completely healthy. The Captain will need to gradually reduce his duties as the pregnancy progresses, but for now, everything is going well."

Jean-luc was refusing to meet the eyes of his crew, he needed to hear how they reacted first. He fixed his eyes firmly upon his steepled fingers and waited out the silence.

"Pregnant? Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes Will, I am certain. I could show you the scan I took, if that would help."

She flipped a control in front of her and the screen lit up with the image of a tiny well developed baby. A pattern of brownish marks were evident across the baby's skin, like tattooed ripples. Jean-luc couldn't help but stare at the screen. He had replayed the scan repeatedly in his own quarters, it had the same impact every time. It awed him. The markings hadn't surprised him, Theich had exactly the same pattern on his skin. Data was not surprised either.

"Fascinating. I was not aware that Nashiran heritage marks were visible pre-natally. Would I be correct in thinking that Commander Dal Meritan is from the Halsidian line?"

Jean-luc raised his eyes to meet the steady attention of his second in command. Data was of course the one he had to worry least about.

"Yes, I do believe he is. I think he also mentioned the Gerinderin line as well."

"Commander Dal Meritan? Oh! That's why you didn't tell me."

"I'm sorry Will. It was purely cowardice on my part. I should have told you immediately."

"No, I understand. Well, I understand how that could be a problem. I'm not sure I understand how it is possible for you to be pregnant. I was under the impression that an entirely different physiology was necessary."

"But not for Nashiran men apparently. Doctor Crusher tells me that there is no known precedent for a Human and a Nashiran being able to procreate."

Deanna smiled as she finally entered the conversation. She felt the Captain relax as he realised that his crew, his friends, were not going to have a problem with the pregnancy. She could sense that he was dealing with it well, he seemed mostly calm. Compared to the emotions that had been rolling off him over the past few days, this was very positive.

"There may not have been a hybrid pregnancy before but there is mention of it in Nashiran sexual history."

Worf raised an eyebrow.

"Sexual history?"

"The Nashira are an extremely sexual race. They have religious texts devoted to the subject. They are similar to Betazoids in the fact that they forge a telepathic link with their partner during intercourse, they feel everything that the other feels, including feeling their partner feeling their own physical and emotional responses. It snowballs from there. It is a unique, if not mentally overpowering aspect of the race and has inhibited interbreeding. Most non Nashirans are not mentally capable of a relationship, several people have been quite literally driven mad."

The Captain took up examining his steepled fingers once again, wishing he had hair so that it would hide his blush. He had not intended to blush in front of his crew. Good Gods, pregnant, vomiting, blushing, having overly erotic dreams that involved nineteenth century style romance. At least the dreams were Wildean enough that they were both dressed as men, if dream-him had been trussed up like Jane Eyre he would probably …well, he was vomiting on a regular basis anyway, so no change there. Deanna gave him a quizzical amused look and carried on, deliberately ignoring the deepening blush. Whip it off quick like a band aid. She wondered where that expression came from, what on earth was a band aid, Data would probably know.

"There is a book, whose title roughly translates as "Book of the Fated Loves" which details unusual and difficult relationships, claiming that the relationships were prophesied. One of them is entitled "The Human Exchange" – it says that a Nashiran man will find his bondmate on foreign soil and that together they will create the first Human hybrid child. The child is supposed to be the first step on a path to restoring the Nashira to their former joy. No-one has ever worked out what joy referred to but all of the loves in the book are meant to be true loves, loves that will make a difference to the history of the race."

"Oh Good God, Theich is going to actually believe that."

"You really think he'll believe THAT?"

"Yes Geordi, I do. His race is very religious; it is tied in to so many other aspects of life. Could you all please do me a favour and not share that piece of information with Theich. He may discover it on his own, but the less hurrying along of that, the better."

"Captain, why would you want to keep this from him?"

"Deanna, he would accept it as true and act accordingly. I would prefer to have a relationship based on mutual feelings than one based on semi-religious writings. If you were in my position, what would you prefer – love….or fate?"

"I understand. No sharing of information then."

"Thank-you. Now, after we rendezvous with the Yosemite, we have orders to collect a terrafirming group that got stuck for a lift. Apparently the moon that they were assessing really is nothing more than a dustball….."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Commander Riker paced the bridge. The Captain had gone down to meet the new crewman, his lover, boyfriend, partner..yeesh…it was difficult to think of the Captain as being involved with a man. He knew that the rumours about him and Beverley were unfounded, but he thought he just didn't fancy redheads, he hadn't realised that it went further than that. And now the Captain was pregnant. This man was responsible for that and Will couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing but it was certainly a big thing.

The turbolift door opened with a hiss and the Captain stepped onto the bridge, followed by a tall man with shoulder length brown hair in a style that looked like a neat form of dredlocks, he was covered in the same pattern of brown ripple as the baby. He was a bigger build than the Captain, muscular and bearded. Well, at least they had something in common. He could avoid the "knocking up my Captain" conversation with a comparison of trimming techniques. Will shook his head and determined to give the man a chance. He was being irrational and Deanna was frowning at him.

"I would like you all to welcome Commander Theich Dal Meritan on board. He will be changing departments on a regular basis in order to convert all relevant skills to Starfleet standard, so I am sure that you will all be working with him at some point in the near future. Just to be clear, you are all aware of my involvement with Commander Dal Meritan. This should not have any impact on ship's business. Commander Dal Meritan knows where he stands in the chain of command and his relationship with me should not make any of you concerned about protocol. He is a member of this crew regardless of his relationship with me. That said, perhaps you would all meet us for a drink in Ten Forward this evening so that you can meet him properly."

The bridge crew nodded in agreement, staring at the newcomer unashamedly. Theich was not the embarassable type however and could happily stand the scrutiny. It was all he could do to stop himself from giving them a twirl. He bit down on his snort of amusement and smiled broadly at them all. They obviously cared about Jean-luc; that was a good thing. He knew that Jean-luc cared about them too, so he would have to behave a little more reservedly than usual whilst they got used to him. Commander Riker stepped forward, hand extended.

"Welcome to the Enterprise, Commander. We're happy to have you on board."

"Thank-you Commander Riker. I'm rather happy about it myself."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTNGxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Should I just use the empty drawers or can I stick things in other drawers too?"

"I honestly don't mind. I cleared a couple out, but feel free to do whatever you feel best. You should make yourself at home."

Theich grinned and chucked his socks in with Jean-luc's. Turning, he almost stalked across the room.

"Hmm, well, at home, after not seeing my lover for four months, I would probably leave the unpacking till morning and take said lover straight to bed."

He wrapped his arms around the smaller man's waist and pulled him tight, kissing the top of his head and breathing in his scent. Jean-luc twisted around in his arms, bringing their faces within centimetres of each other's.

"I think I can accommodate that."

"Fabulous. Accomodation is definitely what I had in mind. I haven't been accommodated in ooh…four months."

Theich guided his lover towards the bed, gently laying him down on the covers as he moved to undo the uniform. Jean-luc toed off his boots and scooted further onto the bed, losing the uniform as he went. Theich made short work of his own clothing and with a deep kiss he initiated the link between them. Jean-luc gasped and melted into the waiting arms, letting the tide of emotions take him where it would. Surrender was the key, thankfully a surrender to pleasure was not something he had a problem with these days.

Theich sounded in his mind, "I missed you." He gently kissed his shoulder blade. "I missed you so much it almost hurt." He fluttered a row of kisses down Jean-luc's chest, then claimed his mouth again. Pressing his body up against his as his need took over, ravaging the smaller man.

Jean-luc moaned as he felt Theich's hands stroking him, gripping him. As he felt his lover slide inside him, he arched up deeper into his embrace, crying out with pleasure.

The afterglow always left Jean-luc feeling special and cared for, but there was something deeper there now. The state of surrender was not something one could easily banish, it ebbed away slowly, so there was no barrier that he could erect as the feelings of love washed over his consciousness. He was not entirely surprised when he felt Theich notice the reciprocation of those feelings. Jean-luc wrapped himself around his lover as they snuggled beneath the covers. They had an hour before they were due in Ten Forward and he was completely content to spend all of it like this. Theich stroked his still flat stomach.

"It's amazing. If you were Nashiran you would be about to give birth, but I can't even tell that you're pregnant. I can't wait until you're showing, I imagine us lying here and I'll stroke your belly and feel it kick. Do you think it will be a boy or a girl? Do you know yet?"

"Beverley said that she could tell, but I chose not to know. Do you have a preference?"

Theich laughed, "No, not at all. I'm so amazed that this is happening that all I want is for the two of you to be healthy. I told my family, by the way. They want to meet you. When you're ready of course. You've had a lot to deal with, in-laws can wait."

"In-laws?"

"Turn of phrase. Don't freak out."

"I'm not."

"I can still feel your emotions."

"Oh!"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Brownie points if you spot a current Patrick Stewart reference.

_**Chapter 4.**_

The eleventh hour of the day shift swung around, shift B, pattern delta. One more hour until the night shift, shift C, pattern Hydra came on the clock. The ship was winding down to night running, an important aspect of dealing with planet bound species. They needed to feel and see a night, even if it was merely a minor shift of light and sound, it calmed their psychological state. Psychological reviews of polar societies on earth had confirmed this long before the human race had ever taken to the stars. Lack of day or lack of night created depression and other psychological disorders. Enterprise ensured that those in her custody were mentally safe from their forms and shuffled in the mock night-time.

The corridors had that quiet, pensive feeling that accompanied late night jazz sets in old films. Jean-luc and Theich made their way towards Ten Forward in silence. Theich had an arm wrapped around his lover, which made the Captain rather uncomfortable. They were less likely to encounter crew members at this time of day but he was uncertain that any that were abroad should see him in such an intimate and personal position. Although, the coming months would exhibit intensely personal information anyway and he was not yet comfortable enough with the current situation to risk pushing Theich away in any manner, so he did nothing.

Entering Ten forward, the arm was tactically withdrawn but they were still close as they approached the table where the senior staff had assembled. Theich straddled a nearby chair as Jean-luc comfortably and elegantly immersed himself in one of the armchairs, trying not to appear as though he wanted to disappear into its depths.

Eyes were on them from all around the room, not intrusive, but certainly intrigued. As with all scuttlebutt, the news of the Captain's pregnancy had flown around the ship like warp enhanced lightening and with it rumours of the new Nashiran crewmate and where he was quartered. It was rare that the crew had scuttlebutt about their Captain's love life and only once before had they had any kind of confirmation. The Captain's current relationship was like paraffin on a fire, had Lt. Cmdr. Daren been merely a friendship?

Deanna smiled to herself at the crew's confusion. She had wondered about the captain's orientation for years. The two relationships that he had had with women whilst in command of the Enterprise had been fraught with confusion and uncertainty. Many people discovered their sexuality late in life but Deanna thought that this had more to do with the specifics of the man in question than in generic stereotyping of sexual identity. She did not think that he had been confused about his attraction to men, more that he had been confused about his friendships with women. Extremely intelligent people always had difficulty separating respect and attraction of minds from sexual attraction.

Guinan arrived quickly with drinks for the crowd and when she presented the Captain with fruit juice she merely smiled at his sour expression. A warm hand on his shoulder and a soft expression of compassion calmed his contempt for the non-alcoholic beverage. He knew that he had to change his ways somewhat now but sitting in a bar full of drinkers didn't make the transition easier for him.

Uncomfortable silence was never an issue where Data was present, so the "getting to know you" session with Theich swung into being forcefully as he began to question the man about his heritage and religion. The friends were surprised to find that their Captain's lover was an exceptionally easy going man, forthright, friendly and easy to amuse. The Captain was, as usual, a harder nut to crack, especially under the circumstances but Theich's deliberate physical distancing helped. Jean-luc would have been more uncomfortable if he had had his partner wrapped around him on the armchair. The individuality and space afforded to him significantly improved his mood and soon the conversation flowed easily between them all.

Will was both pleased and dismayed to find that he rather liked the guy. He was obviously reining himself in a little, probably for the Captain's comfort at this stage, but that actually made him more appealing. He was looking after Jean-luc, as he should, considering his feelings and sensibilities but was also showing enough of his unique personality to get across that he was a far more extrovert character than the Captain.

He had a laugh that bounced of the bulkhead like deep pulse phaser fire and it came often and honestly. He shared the Captain's passion for books, history and climbing but also enjoyed surfing and played an instrument similar to an acoustic guitar. His religion did not inhibit his enjoyment of other cultures and he had travelled broadly and unofficially in his youth. The crew discovered that although he looked similar in age to the Captain, he was actually fourteen years older and had dabbled in revolutionary politics when younger. His current position on the exchange was another example of his desire to suck up alien cultures and he had a healthy perspective on culture and religion that limited his religious beliefs to his own planet, after all the Nashira had no creation myths, so their religious beliefs were intrinsically tied to their ecology.

The evening wound down with an impromptu performance of Nashiran festival music, which was jazzy enough to intrigue Will and rocky enough to sustain the mood that had been cultivated.

Deanna was in awe of the man's ability to weave an audience to his side, he was an accomplished diplomat despite his low rank. She suspected that his life choices were all made for the sake of experience and that he had no real career ambition beyond opening himself up to new experiences. He was, in a sense, the perfect kind of person for Jean-luc to become involved with. He would never be bored on the Enterprise and there would be no conflict of interests to drag him off to pastures new. She sensed that he had the capacity to be annoyingly cheerful at inappropriate moments; maybe this relationship would teach him to temper that and consider the feelings of others more. Not that he seemed to be desperately lacking in the empathy department, just that he perhaps saw too clearly and therefore would be prone to miss the details of a situation and react to it as though the problem was already resolved. That bore watching. Mind you, he had taken a separate seat, when he clearly would have preferred to stake a claim on the Captain with physical closeness, perhaps Jean-luc was the loophole in his personality. Well, observation would tell eventually.

Beverley was astonished by how well Jean-luc and Theich knew each other. Admittedly they had spent a fair amount of time together on the dig, but they weren't revealing new information or attitudes to each other tonight, which was telling. She had imagined Jean-luc would be forever tied to his job, constantly turning down promotions to keep himself on the front line, never committing to another being who might draw his loyalty away from his beloved Starfleet. This man didn't raise any potential conflicts though, he just was.

Worf was a little nonplussed. The man seemed physically strong and well toned, but the Captain was deceptive in form, his small frame packing a nuclear punch. He would have to see him in action to judge, he supposed.

As the evening wore on, the Captain wore out. It wasn't surprising that he tired quicker than he usually was, that was normal for any person of any species who was four months pregnant, let alone one that had worked all day and seen his partner move in with him. What was surprising was that Theich realised a moment or two before the crew. Deanna was thrilled by the realisation but Will was a little put out. He liked the man, he really did and the Captain obviously wanted him here, but…Will shook his head to clear it, he was reacting like a spoilt child suddenly threatened with loss of attention when the parent starts dating again.

Will rose - broad beaming smile firmly in place as he got up to wish the Captain and his boyfriend (?) goodnight. The smile felt a million times more honest when he saw Theich pull the Captain to his side for support. A hundred watt smile for a hundred to one chance of seeing the Captain wrapped in a hug in Ten Forward, even if he was the only one to have seen it.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – No-one got the reference. Pshew. It was the first words as well. "The Eleventh Hour" is his current series on BBC.

A/N2 – Thank-you for reviews and e-mails. I am glad that this is welcome in the ST world, I personally think it's long overdue, they did it in series one of Enterprise after all (Het and a rubbish toys-back-in-the-box conclusion unfortunately). Sorry for not updating, I was getting more hassle about an HP story on than about this and I concentrated on that. Sorry, but demand decides which gets done first I'm afraid. That said, there should be a few chapters this week on this story.

**Chapter 5.**

Theich straddled the turbolift panel that he'd set on the floor and leant deeply into the cavity beyond it. He swore harshly as his laser-tool came slightly too close to the thumb holding the thermo-plate in place, but rectified the mistake before he injured himself.

There were many areas of Starfleet procedure where things were similar to Nashiran Control or easily adapted. The engineering was riddled with differences though. Nashiran ships used genetomorphics where Starfleet seemed to favour technology. The biomorphic plants prevalent on Nashira were unique to their world but that didn't explain why the rest of the Galaxy refused to investigate the possibilities that the balance between mimetic plants and technology offered. If he was on a Control vessel, he would have stimulated the plant matter in the cavity to repair itself and reset its behaviour genes; instead he had to manually adjust the individual technological elements in order to get the damn machine to work properly. It seemed far more time consuming and bothersome than the Nashiran way, but he was here to learn and adapt. It was fascinatingly obsolete in some ways, but Nashiran Control was the only planet utilising genetomorphics. Theich stopped his work momentarily to consider that in this respect his race would be considered more advanced than others. However, social factors undermined that significantly. There were many aspects of Nashiran life that were unsavoury and they were upheld as religious by a succession of modified scriptures that had been accepted as holy when they should have been burnt as sacrilegious.

"How's it going Commander?"

"Ah. Commander La Forge. It's Lt. Commander actually and it seems to be going fine."

Geordi chuckled.

"I'm not going to say Lt. Commander every time I speak to you. It's customary to shorten it to the higher rank on this ship, that's not so for every ship, but then I don't suppose you'll be transferring in a hurry. Is it fixed?"

"Uh, nearly. I just need to finish fixing the plate in place."

Geordi frowned. This man was somewhat different on duty. He almost seemed loathe to do the work. He knew that he wasn't supposed to link the man at work with the fact that he was the Captain's boyfriend, but he couldn't help it. He just couldn't imagine the Captain getting involved with someone who was work-shy.

"Is there a problem with doing that Mr. Dal Meritan?"

"No Sir. Not a problem exactly.."

"Then?"

"It's just that I was thinking about how much simpler this would be if Starfleet would start using genetomorphics. I could have had all the turbolifts repaired and reset in the time that it has taken me to fix this one."

Geordi started so violently that he upset the tool tray. Theich finished fixing the plate as Geordi picked up all the dropped tools. Geordi stared hopefully at his subordinate; was this just a passing interest in the technology or did he have some experience with it.

"Starfleet hasn't authorised general experimentation with genetomorphics yet. The assessment committee ruled that it would be too unstable without expert guidance. Have you seen genetomorphics in action?"

Theich turned an astounded face towards the Chief Engineer.

"That's all people know? Seriously? By Halshir's Repast, I never thought that Starfleet were into hiding advances. Genetomorphics have always been used on Nashiran Control vessels; the whole concept is based on the biomorphic genetic structures in Nashiran plants. Our plant-life naturally assisted us, adapting to help construct buildings and deliver fresh water to them. We learnt to manipulate them so that they would evolve to assist us quicker, which is when it advanced from being nature into being a bio-technology. A five year old knows how to manipulate plant-life, mostly in play and attention seeking but the effect is the same."

As they walked along the corridor back to Engineering, Geordi felt an elation he hadn't felt in a long time. They always had new experiences to adjust to, new concepts to assimilate, but new technology was not something that came along in advanced dollops like this. He could feel himself getting excited as he mapped out his proposition in his head.

"Theich? Can I call you Theich? Well, I know that you have to complete your circuit of all the different departments on board but when you have, would you consider being assigned to Engineering for a while?"

"I assume this invitation isn't just based on my performance, you're interested in bio-technology?"

Geordi grinned and pulled the taller man into his office, indicating that he sit. Theich moved the Padds and isolinear chips off the neglected seat and sat, this had a rather promising tone to it. The engineer took his own seat and pulled it close to the other.

"Interested would be an understatement. Genetomorphics is the most incredible leap in engineering, I think you'd have to be a fool to neglect research, let alone ignore it completely. You said that five year old could manipulate the plants to some extent, I assume an eighty year old would have a more advanced grasp of the process?"

Theich matched Geordi's enthused grin with one of his own.

"You know, I think I might have installed a veinwork on a ship or two in my time and of course having to repair my own ship during my more adventurous days might offer a leetle bit more insight."

Geordi grabbed a Padd and brought up a research proposition form, purely internal. There was no point in getting Headquarters involved in a little research project after all. It was just a suggestion from an alien colleague, nothing subversive, nothing extreme. If Geordi remembered correctly, there was even a protocol somewhere about analysing and adapting alien technology where appropriate. There were also no restrictions on who should deem it appropriate. Now if only Data could be persuaded to keep shtum about it, they would have a perfect team for installing a localised test of the genetomorphic system.

------------------------------TNG----------------------------

Jean-luc went through the revised mapping schedule with his First Officer again, it was somewhat unnecessary but they were in the midst of numerous scientific experiments and the mapping did need to be done. It wasn't that the ship wasn't immensely busy; it was just that little of it concerned the bridge crew. Calm, peaceful daily drudgery. The worst part of interstellar travel, the "are we there yet" depression. Jean-luc had many a time felt the awful urge himself, to just scream "are we there yet" at the viewscreen and hope that it presented a more interesting view of the universe than the one that they had seen inch by bloody imperial inch for the interminable century that it seemed to take to complete the damn things.

"Have we heard about our next order yet Sir?"

"I heard a rumour that we'll be taking over patrol of the new Uridium mining belt. Apparently the number of Ferengi in the area has risen by five hundred percent in the past two weeks. I have not heard anything official yet though. Apparently they will wait until the depression has plateaued in the trough before they hit us with it. Maximum damage. Hit them while they're down. Nothing like a good headbang with a Ferengi to dampen the spirits to a numb ache."

"Captain? Are you alright?"

"Mmm? Oh. I am beginning to feel the effects of this pregnancy, I believe."

"Sir?"

"Beverley told me to expect mood swings. Apparently it doesn't simply give me the warp ten version of whichever emotion is getting a workout but it also makes me more likely to share it with others. Just make sure I don't tell the Ferengi exactly what I think of them, I'm sure I could cause an intergalactic incident if allowed to propound forth on that particular topic."

"Ooo K. Well, we have had plenty of practice at controlling our personal intergalactic incidents. I believe we should be able to discreetly wrap up anything you might feel the need to exorcise."

"Will!"

He chuckled, "You'll be fine Sir. You're lucid, eloquent and aware of the problem, you've worked through worse. And if the worst comes to the worst then we can just arrest them all on smuggling charges and offer them a deal."

"Something about your tone tells me that that isn't as whimsical a proposition as the last one."

"Locking them up? More of a life goal."

Having succeeded in getting the Captain to laugh, Will turned his attention to the replicator. Beverley had them all enrolled in the "feed the Captain" conspiracy. He hadn't managed to do it unnoticed, as Deanna did, but he was getting good at getting him to start eating without realising. He slid the Brie and baguette in front of the Captain, quietly moving the Padd out of the way.

Will smiled as the Captain began to eat, not realising that he hadn't chosen to himself; which was exactly the moment that Jean-luc realised how his First Officer had manipulated him. He sighed before raising an arm to throw the end of the baguette at the rapidly retreating First Nuisance.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm sixty four years old Tabitha, and I'm male. How do you think I feel about it?"

The Admiral tried to peer through the small screen at him, as if her mothering instincts could reach across the light years and wrap in warm support.

"My mother was nearly seventy when she gave birth to me Johnny."

She deliberately used his old nickname, something to make him feel younger. It appeared to have the opposite effect though. He looked tired, like he was about to cave in on himself. She knew that it was just because he was being open with an old friend and no-one was used to seeing emotions bared clearly on his face.

"You know full well that it's not uncommon or particularly old to give birth in one's sixties. It's far more common than doing it in your twenties these days. So that's a duff gripe and you know it. How does your boyfriend feel about it?"

"He's positively ecstatic. If he could jump over a moon, he would do. I'd be more excited if I wasn't the one that it's living inside. It's not a position I ever imagined myself to be in."

"Rubbish. I know you better than that Jean-luc. You shagged your way across the galaxy under my scrutiny, in your youth and I cannot remember you ever baring your butt without first checking out the sexual customs, expectations and possibilities of your prospective partners. If we were heading for a spot where it would be all impromptu with the bunny rutting then you checked it out on route to the planet. I have a brain like an elephant darling, why do you think they keep putting me in charge of information gathering? So I know full well that you knew that Nashiran men could get pregnant."

The grunt that came from the grumpy man was all the confirmation that she needed. She knew that he was not immune to the charms of an attractive stranger, but she also knew that he would have informed himself on their race before going any further. Even extreme lust or love wouldn't change a man that much.

"Do you love him? What's the guy's name anyway? You still haven't told me."

"I told you four months ago, when I realised that I cared for him and had to leave him."

"Theich? Wow. Well, that's a happy ending then. You didn't get knocked up on purpose did you, to make sure that you didn't lose him?"

"Tabby!"

"I'm joking Jean-luc. You must admit it's kind of felicitous though. Serendipity working as a force in the universe."

"You missed the part about me being tired, moody and miserable didn't you?"

"No Sweetie, the grumblings resounded all the way across the universe. But I also remember your devastating epiphany after Rene died. I remember every single word of it Jean-luc. Every concern about your family name dying out, the end a line that can be traced back to the time of Charlemagne; the sudden realisation that you would have liked to have had children. There has to be a part of you that's reacting well to this. We've known each other since we were teenagers, you might be able to convince yourself that it's all a big pain in the arse but I know you too well for that."

Tabitha waited and watched the changing expressions on her old friend's face. It would be a big admission, she knew, but he had known about his pregnancy for a month, it was about time he started to put the shock and denial away. God knows how Theich was dealing with this. Jean-luc was never the most accessible of people.

"How is Theich? Does living with someone suit both of you?"

"He's enjoying his rotation. He's rather excited about a research project that he's cooked up with our chief engineer and wants to be assigned there once his rotation ends. Living together is surprisingly easy actually. I never thought that I'd be able to adapt to living with another person, I suppose it has a lot to do with the bond."

"Bond? What are talking about Jean-luc? What bond?"

"Theich is Nashiran Tabby."

"Yeees. And?"

"I take it that you haven't had much to do with Nashiran Control?"

"Jean-luc, stop being obtuse and just tell me what you're talking about. I have a diplomatic lunch in half an hour, there isn't time for you to teach me how to work it out for myself, so stop smirking at me and tell me."

"Nashiran people have limited telepathic and empathic abilities. It isn't developed to the broad field that Vulcans and Betazoids have reached, but within relationships, especially physical ones, a bond is formed. It is very similar to the Deltan sex bond, the initial intensity is comparable and if the two parties live together and maintain a physical relationship, the bond gains a hold on both minds and begins to link them more broadly and permanently."

"Deltan…permanently…fuck me Jean-luc, that's…well…I don't need to worry that you're with him for the baby then. I couldn't imagine you accepting that level of intimacy from anyone, but as you already are…you must really love him. Isn't the Deltan sex bond supposed to send humans bonkers?"

Jean-luc tried to smother the ego-driven smirk that tried to muscle its way into his expression.

"I believe both the Deltan and Nashiran bonds have been known to send humans insane, yes."

"But you just did it anyway? You haven't really lost that idiotic "angels fear to tread" thing at all, have you? Well, just remember, they might be able to repeatedly replace you heart, but brains are hard to replace."

Jean-luc chuckled, "I swear I'm fine Tabby. I do love Theich and the bond is not a problem, as I said, I think it helps. I'll stop 'grumbling' eventually, probably once the child becomes more real than the indignity of being pregnant."

"I'm glad to hear it. Well, I have to squeeze into my dress uniform, which is actually a dress this time, so I have to go. Just a suggestion Jean-luc, but I'd advise you not to use the word 'indignity' in front of any of your female officers. It might be a good idea if you have a go at finding a way to deal with whatever you find undignified about bringing life into the world, for yourself and for the baby."

"I'll take it under advisement. Enjoy your lunch."

"You do that. I'll talk to you soon Sweetie. Conlan out."

----------------------------------------TNG----------------------------------------

Jean-luc was all alone in his quarters when it happened.

Theich had gone to engineering after his shift in Stellar Cartography to talk to Geordi about the plants that they needed to import and adapt. They were converting some unused space into a hydroponics bay that would serve as the headquarters for their early experiments with the mimetic plants.

Jean-luc had decided to make use of his free time in the most indulgent way possible. He eased his body down into the tub, sighing as he felt the heat relaxing his taut muscles. He lay immobile, entering a deep kind of relaxation that often seems to only be accessible when the body is under strain.

The sudden movement from within his mildly distended stomach was noticeable from without as well as from within. He had had none of the flutters that Beverley had told him to expect, it went from extra weight and bulk to movement in a moment. A moment that froze Jean-luc briefly before his emotions and concerns shifted into what his friends would consider to be the right place. Suddenly the mottled form that had awed him in image was linked with his discomfort and embarrassment and he couldn't allow the two to be drawn together. The reality of this being his child, curled and moving within him was too tangible to be ignored.

He slid a hand tentatively over his stomach, feeling the slight swell that cocooned his baby and pressed slightly where he felt the most solid resistance. He was rewarded almost instantly with a soft but insistent response. His fingertips brushed against what seemed to be a foot, stroking the solidity beneath his skin.

"Hello little one."

He cringed slightly as realised that he had used the same epithet that Lwaxana used for Deanna and decided that should he find himself using it, he would make sure to stop it at an appropriate age.

"I'm your…"

Jean-luc paused for a moment; he had not considered what he would like to be called. He had called his father 'father' but it was more common in France to use the old French 'Papa'. He wasn't sure that he wanted to use 'father', it was stiff and rigid, it had suited his father but he didn't want to be that kind of father. There were also two of them. On Nashira, the term was Redidg, which as it was a contraction and adaptation of the old Redingerio, seemed to be equivalent to Dad. So Theich would probably opt for Redidg or Dad, depending on what he wanted to emphasise, probably Redidg. There was Daddy, but he suited Daddy far less than he suited Father.

"I'm your Papa. Your Redidg is working right now, so you'll have to let him say hello later. You are inside me right now. My God, you're inside me. I can't wait to meet you. I think you need to stay where you are for a little while longer, but we'll be seeing you soon. We live on the Enterprise, that's a space ship. We fly through space and meet all kinds of new and interesting people. That how I met your Redidg……"

Jean-luc lay in the bath for a long time, talking to his unborn child. That was how Theich found him when he returned to their quarters. He was amused to hear Jean-luc talking to their child, astonished, over-joyed but amused nonetheless. That was until he squatted down beside the bathtub and Jean-luc guided his hand to a spot on his stomach, where a heel collided with its parent's hand.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry that I'm not updating quickly enough for you. I have several stories on the go and a busy life. I shall make this story more of a priority. Thanks for your e-mails.

_Chapter Seven._

Theich propped his chin up with one hand and peered across the room to watch his partner struggling into his uniform. Data had managed to redesign his uniform so that it hid the detail of his changing form, but as Jean-luc got bigger all clothes had become awkward.

"Jean-luc, come back to bed. Your shift doesn't start for three hours."

"The engines have stopped. I can't feel the warp core."

"Perhaps it's just your perceptions changing."

"I'm not as sensitive to changes as I was on the Stargazer. This ship is streamlined to cut down vibrations more effectively than any other ship in the fleet, but I can still tell whether the ship is actually working or not. Something is wrong."

"Riker to Picard."

"Picard here. What has happened to the engines Number One?"

"We don't know yet Sir. We just stopped moving. Geordi cannot find anything wrong with the engines, they should be running. It isn't merely a problem with the engines though Sir. We didn't slow down and come to a stop when they cut out; they just stopped dead and so did we at the same time. We are scanning the area for anomalies."

"I'm on my way to the bridge. Picard out."

Theich was up and getting dressed.

"I'm going to see if I can help in engineering."

He grabbed hold of Jean-luc before he could leave their quarters.

"Theich I am needed on the bridge now. There is no time for this."

"There is always time for a kiss."

-------------------------TNG----------------------

"Report Number One."

Commander Riker looked up from the display that he was reading on the Ops station over Data's shoulder. The Captain, thankfully took the command seat. It was easier to ignore his waistline when he wasn't pacing and right now the last thing Riker needed was to be concentrating on the Captain's condition. It made them all feel over-protective and the consideration needed to be more general under current circumstances.

"We still have no idea what happened Sir. It is possible that it is an outside force. Commander La Forge will report to the bridge when he has completed his inspection Sir."

Jean-luc looked over all of the reports which had been diverted to his station, nothing seemed to make sense. There was no tangible reason for them to have stopped. Commander La Forge and Lieutenant Commander Dal Meritan said pretty much the same thing as they arrived on the bridge to report. They began to bat around ideas about anomalies that could have caused the seemingly inexplicable problem and then began to test ways of kick starting the engines. Whatever was happening appeared to have simply frozen the ship in place. A sharp thwop sounded to the left of the bridge, signalling the most irritating form of intrusion.

"You were about to fly straight into a bear trap. I did you a favour if you think about it rationally."

"Q!"

Jean-luc didn't have the energy for this. He didn't rise from his seat nor to the challenge that the creature's mere presence presented.

"What do you want Q?"

"Ooh, Jean-luc. I am disappointed in you. What no hug? It's been such a long time."

"Not long enough."

"I missed you too. My my, it's just as well I did stop you, all that extra bulk would have dragged you down into the space-well even faster. What have they been feeding you mon Capitaine?"

Jean-luc bristled visibly and adjusted his clothing.

"My personal matters are none of your concern Q. I don't for one second believe that you are acting in our best interests but in the meantime, what is a space-well?"

Q bounced himself into the first officer's chair and leaned close to the Captain, a wide grin making his appearance even more unnerving. With a very deliberate turn of his head, he appraised other man's physical condition before impertinently running a hand over the round curve of his belly.

"That is an awful lot of croissants."

The sharp kick to his palm explained the situation more clearly than words could. Q had long thought that little could surprise him, but every time that opinion was confounded, it was this man that did the confounding and surprising. He was too stunned for a moment to respond with his usual annoying jibes. Before he had time to formulate a response, Jean-luc took his hand and virtually threw it off him.

"If you have QUITE finished. What is a space-well?"

"Um, it's an area of temporarily warped space that creates a funnel from the fabric of space-time. It's a spatial cul-de-sac and the negative space existing at the endpoint of the funnel sucks at positive space and draws in anything in the surrounding area. A bear trap!"

"Data, scan the surrounding area, attempt to confirm or disprove this theory."

"I save your lives and you don't even believe me. I am hurt Mon Capitaine, or perhaps I should say Mom Capitaine."

Jean-luc decided to ignore the dig, he would not give Q the satisfaction, nor would he be embarrassed about this. Rising to Q's bait never stood them in good stead, he must concentrate on the situation at hand.

"We have no reason to believe you Q."

"Fine. I release you, drive on Jeeves, aim for the pit, it's straight ahead."

The engines immediately came back to life.

"All stop. Data, continue your investigation. Q, it is not that we will not pay attention to what you have said, it is simply that we do not trust you enough to accept your words without corroboration. You cause us nothing but grief. We will investigate and if we find this to be true then we will by all means offer you our thanks. In the meantime, there really is no reason for you to be here."

"Oh but there is a marvellous reason for me to be here. I have to meet the man that has wooed you Jean-luc. I cannot imagine what kind of man could have chipped through that icy reserve and managed to get you to spread your legs for him."

The bridge crew fidgeted uncomfortably, unhappy with the entity's personal attack on their Captain. His sexuality and pregnancy were now clear for all to see but that was not an excuse to be rude and personal, they respected his privacy and reacted badly to those who did not. Not that any of them ever reacted well to Q anyway. One crewmember found it impossible to remain silent in the wake of such offensive personal commentary however.

"For an omnipotent being, you really aren't that omnipotent are you?"

"And who might you be Ensign?"

"Lieutenant Commander! I am Theich Dal Meritan. I'm the ice wooer, which you wouldn't need to be told if you really were omnipotent. All powerful usually includes all seeing, unless you have a new definition that no-one else shares. Now, I would appreciate it if you would take a step away from my mate, I find your behaviour threatening."

Jean-luc shot his a warning glance, unsure of how much Theich knew about Q. Q was unfazed, in fact he looked delighted.

"A Nashiran? Jean-luc! You dark horse you. Who would have thought you'd have such a complex and heightened sexuality? No wonder he got your bun cooking. Well, as interesting as this is, there are more interesting places to be right now. By the way, don't pass within twenty parsecs of that anomaly, it'll get you. I'll see you after the happy event Jean-luc. Let's hope the little one gets its Daddy's hair."

The bridge was suddenly quiet of all but the general running sounds of the ship. Jean-luc rubbed his eyes, took a deep sigh and looked around the bridge.

"Continue to investigate Q's claims. I suppose it's too much to ask that that is it. Put the ship on Yellow Alert for the next 12 hours, I want to know immediately if he is spotted back on board."

The Enterprise crew slipped easily into what they were best at, unexpected situations and Jean-luc moved through to his ready room and lay down on the couch with his eyes closed, praying that this would just unhappen. Q was one the things that he least wanted to deal with whilst pregnant. He was up there with Romulans and Borg. With a shock, Jean-luc realised that this was how it would be for the rest of his life, not simply his pregnancy. He could never view danger in quite the same way again, he would always have someone that he cared about more than any higher concerns.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight._

Careful manoeuvring was under way, demanding the attention and concentration of all of the bridge staff as they sought to collapse the space-well. The anomaly seemed to operate along the same lines as similar anomalies and the simplest way to deal with it was to detonate the negative space by ejecting highly explosive material into the funnel. Anything existing in positive space would react with the negative space but to implode the funnel, it had to be a big bang.

The manoeuvring came into play due to the distance that they would have to be from the anomaly to ensure that the modified torpedo hit its mark. It was not within the pull range of the negative space, but it was close enough to be worrying. There was a danger that the ship could be hit by the explosion because they could not assess how much dark matter was contained in the funnel. To get more accurate readings they would have to get closer and it was unlikely, if they did so, that they would be able to fly out of its grip.

They prepared for the worst and hoped that their calculations were accurate enough that the funnel would implode before the drag zone expanded and pulled them in. The ship was on Red Alert, all unnecessary personnel were tucked up tight in their quarters in the knowledge that the ship was about to be affected in some unknown manner by the explosion and that there was nothing they could do about it.

The mood on the bridge itself was akin to an operating theatre during heart surgery. Pensive, quiet, charged and poised. Jean-luc adjusted his uniform, not quite the Picard Manoeuver that ensigns giggled about, but at least he felt a little more controlled for the action. Sitting up straight, he commanded the attention of his crew by mere mood and presence of being, he did not need to signal their attention.

"On my mark. Arm torpedoes. Ready. Fire."

The sleek projectile cut a swath through space and disappeared down the largely invisible tunnel. The readouts on the computer panels displayed its progress, as it neared its mark the crew tensed, ready for action.

Data's hands flew over his panel at lightening speed.

"Impact at o eight hundred twenty five and thirty two seconds. Funnel is collapsing as predicted. Ricochet wave of energy heading our way, taking evasive manoeuvres."

The ship rolled and turned as the second officer pushed the ship to avoid the impact. He nearly made it, but the turn was not tight enough and the wave hit the saucer section with tremendous force.

Data managed to remain at his post as the other officers were thrown across the deck. He ignored all the activity around him as he set new co-ordinates, changed direction and speed and attempted to nose-dive out of the danger zone.

The ship was rocked as smaller and slower waves of energy buffeted them, mocking their shields and hurtling bodies against walls and seats.

Worf quietened the sirens and moved them down to yellow alert as soon as they were clear of the field.

"Shields are holding, the waves went right through them. Minimal external structural damage, mostly dents and buckling, stasis fields are in place. Injury reports are abundant but not serious. Sickbay is requesting that those with minor injuries wait until they have dealt with those that need attention now."

Riker immediately relayed the message to the rest of the crew, assuring them that they were now safe and that no lasting damage has occurred. He stood and assessed the situation on the bridge. Two crewmen seemed to be injured, he himself had bruises from being thrown but little else. Finally he turned to the Captain.

"Captain Picard? Sir, are you alright?"

Jean-luc had experienced much pain, but nothing like this before. He locked eyes with his First Officer, who immediately leapt to his side and helped him to stand.

"Riker to Crusher. The Captain has been injured; we are on our way to Sickbay, Riker out. Riker to Engineering, please inform Commander Dal Meritan that the Captain has been injured and ask him to meet us in Sickbay. Data, you have the bridge."

--------------------------------------TNG-------------------------------

The Captain was unconscious when Will staggered into Sickbay carrying him. Beverley was bristling efficiency as she checked the pregnant man's vitals and began a full body scan.

"The placenta has torn away from the womb, he's bleeding internally and his body is trying to activate labour, but the Nashiran genes involved in adapting his body have not made the necessary changes to allow labour to begin. I'm going to have to operate and reattach the placenta internally. There's a risk of miscarriage but if I don't then the baby will die and Jean-luc will be extremely unwell."

"Do it then!"

A panicked Theich rushed to Jean-luc's side and bent down to kiss his forehead. He ran his hand over the familiar curve of his lover's belly and prayed that they would both be well. He ignored the slow tears that crawled across his cheeks and stared at the unconscious man, probing with his mind into the blankness that signified unconsciousness. A nurse took his elbow and guided him towards the Doctor's office as Jean-luc was prepped for surgery. Will sat nearby him, both anxious about Jean-luc's well being.

They had never had a dialogue before. Whenever they had spoken, it had been in a group or in the presence of others. The man had been on board for three months now and although Will admitted to himself that he did like the man, he couldn't get past the fact that this man had got his Captain, his friend pregnant. The Captain was coping with the situation but that was not the same as seeking it out or welcoming it. Will knew that the Captain would love his child when it was born, it would be a good thing to happen to him and to the crew. He knew that he couldn't hold a grudge like some naïve child and he had tried to work out why it bothered him so much. Deanna had offered the answer in the end, after allowing him to stew in his emotions for a while she had pointed out that Will was an strong character, almost excessively heterosexual. He was dominant and he expected the people he admired to be dominant too. The Captain was obviously a natural leader, a talented diplomat and an extremely capable soldier. He was measured, intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, brave – Will had always looked up to him. Now Will was confronted by the fact and physical evidence that this man whom he admired was not dominant like himself. He took the sexually submissive position and was now placed in a maternal role. Deanna suggested that Will was having a problem equating the two.

She was right. He knew that his own sexuality was a strong force in his personality and his life but he had not previously realised that his own perceptions and predilections had coloured his view of others. That disturbed him and he determined to make more of an effort with Theich. Now here they were, stuck in a small room alone together scared stiff about what was happening to the man whose side they both placed themselves at, in different ways.

Theich had his head in hands; he was unmoving and silent. Will didn't even realise that the man was crying until he sniffed and looked up to reach for a tissue off the Doctor's desk. He moved closer to his friend's boyfriend, mate, on the bridge he had used the word mate.

"Theich, he will be alright. Doctor Crusher is doing everything she can for the baby. You have to think positively."

"I cannot afford to Commander."

"Theich…"

"You don't understand. If the baby dies… I need to perform a guiding ceremony. So that if…if…if the baby doesn't make it, it will be able to find its way."

Will took hold of the other man's shoulders, partly to offer comfort, but also so that he could see his eyes.

"I don't understand. I can see that you are worried…"

"On my world, a child who dies unborn must be guided into what comes next. It translates as 'afterlife' but that is misleading, it is to control the energy, so that it re-enters the life cycle. Something between recycling and reincarnation. But it must be guided, a child which has not…"

"What do you need?"

"What?"

"What do you need? I can't claim to understand your concerns or your customs but this ship has dozens of species onboard, all with different customs. If there is something that you need to do then you should do it. Time is obviously an issue here and this is obviously important, so what can I do to help?"

Theich grabbed hold of Will and hugged him tightly, whispering "Thank you" in his ear as he released him.

"I need a couple of large candles, not new, they need to have been used already, an active part of this world. Other than that, I just need to be near to Jean-luc. The ritual is to create a guiding vibration that resonates through the energy of the baby. This is horrible, talking like this about my own child." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"The vibration, created through chanting, will link the energy or spirit of the baby to this world so that it will be drawn back into the cycle in another place."

"Riker to Worf."

"Worf here Sir."

"Worf, Commander Dal Meritan needs to perform a ritual which requires two large partly used candles. I can't think of anyone else who would have something like that. Would you loan him the candles?"

"Of course Commander. Shall I bring them to Sickbay."

"Fast as you can Worf."

"Thank-you Commander Riker."

"Will. Everyone calls me Will, not on duty of course, but otherwise…"

"Thank-you Will."

"It's no trouble. I take it that religion is important to you?"

"Of course, in the way that anyone's fundamental beliefs about the nature and order of life are important. Not all may call it a religion, but if there is thought, belief and conviction there, then we are all the same, just with our intensities differently located."

"That's an unusually inclusive philosophy."

"Why unusually?"

"Because not many people view difference in such an accepting manner."

"Ah. Well, they need to calm their spirits and stop over-compensating for their perceived weaknesses. It is more enjoyable to appreciate our similarities than object to our differences. Zenophobes really ought to stay at home, what is the point in scampering amongst the galactic fauna if you plan to only accept them if they are just like you?"

The door opened quietly and Worf came in to place the two large maroon coloured candles on the desk.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I have never done this before but I am dedicating this chapter to "excessively perky" – who reads all my fics and always lets me know what worked and what didn't ring true. It's appreciated!

_Chapter Nine._

Beverley had remained calm as she explained the situation to Theich and to Will who had stayed with Theich whilst they waited. She had been professional as she explained that she had done as much as she could and now it was up to the unconscious signals in the bodies of Jean-luc and the baby. She had reattached the placenta, but the baby was obviously in minor distress. Nothing she did could bring the heartbeat back to a normal rhythm and if it didn't even out soon then she would have to deliver the baby by c-section and try to keep it alive.

As soon as Will and Theich went onto the ward to perform this ritual of theirs, she had switched the glass panels of her office to frosted and taken a moment to allow herself a few frustrated tears. She shook her red hair to put the gray mood in its place as she moved to prepare infant hyposprays of anything which they might need in the event of having to deliver early: a drug to stimulate lung development, another to inhibit internal bleeding, vitamin K, premature baby doses of adrenaline in case they needed to resuscitate. She collected an impress array, prepared for anything. Anything except not being able to save this child.

----------------------------------------TNG----------------------------------

Deanna arrived in Sickbay expecting to have to comfort either a furious man or one in the midst of emotional collapse. She had not expected to find Will assisting in the preparation of a ritual. For a moment she was bemused by the ways in which people of any race manage to distract themselves from the immensity of some situations, but she rapidly became concerned as she recalled all that she had read about Nashiran religious practice.

"Theich, what exactly are you preparing to do?"

"I am preparing to lead my child on after death, if the worst happens."

Deanna was truly alarmed.

"Theich, I am familiar with some of your planet's customs. This is not in anyone's best interests. Doctor Crusher will do all she can to help Jean-luc and your baby. Even if the baby has to be delivered early, there is a lot that she can do to help and give it the best possible chance of survival. Jean-luc needs you now. He needs you to be strong for him as well as for your child. If the baby did die and you did this, you would be leaving him to mourn both of you; it would destroy him."

"Oh For F…… if you are going to read, at least finish the book. I am not planning on killing myself. That custom relates to a parent making amends, doing what should have been done earlier. It is very rare that such a situation would occur, it usually only applies to abortions, which, as breeding is a bit of a problem, would be damn stupid not to mention morally reprehensible. This is the Tahl Monat not the Tahl Mehit. It's just chanting, to set up the guiding vibrations."

Deanna felt her heartbeat settle; she tried to concentrate on helping others, dwelling on the possibilities and probabilities wouldn't help anyone.

"I am sorry Theich, I misunderstood. Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"Just don't let anyone interrupt me."

"I'll do my best."

She raised her eyebrows to Will, who quickly moved around to stand by her as Theich began a deep reverberating chant. The component sounds and syllables were so drawn out that it was difficult to hear what the words were. Will found himself straining to make them out, even though he did not understand Nashiran. Deanna tapped him on the arm and pointed to a panel mounted on a side wall; it clearly indicated that the Universal Translator was on. She pulled him down to her level and whispered.

"He said vibrations; I think these are holy sounds. Their religion is nature based and sound has a lot to do with it, religious songs are not composed of words but sounds which emulate the sounds of nature. The sounds are supposed to be holier than language because they are natural and not created by Nashirankind."

Will and Deanna sectioned off the intensive care ward to only allow those with the code to enter, that way Theich would not be disturbed. There was nothing they could do now but wait.

-------------------------------TNG----------------------------

Jean-luc awoke in early hours of the morning. Beverley had chosen not to wake him artificially, so that his body could unconsciously do what it must before the repressive fields of fear and panic could interfere.

He recognised the numb feeling that follows surgery and tried to clamp down on the fear that gurgled its way up through his nerves and thoughts. He managed to lift his head and in the dim glow of the night lighting he made out the figure of his lover sat cross-legged on the floor by his side. He was humming.

He tried to speak, but his throat was incredibly dry and he was worried by the croaking rasp that seemed to emit from him.

"Theich?"

There was no response from the man, who seemed deep in some kind of meditation. Jean-luc noticed a shadow passing across the foot of the bed.

"Hello Jean-luc, welcome back. Here, drink some water!"

"What happened?"

"You were injured on the bridge when the space-well collapsed. The impact ripped the placenta away from your womb. I have reattached the placenta, but there are still problems. Jean-luc, I am really sorry, I can't sugar-coat this for you. My last scan showed that the placenta has nearly stopped working. Soon the toxicity levels in the baby's blood stream will begin to rise. We are going to have to deliver the baby. I will do everything I can to ensure that all is well."

Jean-luc just nodded, feeling somewhat numb. He now recognised what Theich was doing, he had seen him perform a similar ritual on one of the pack animals that they had used on the dig. He was expecting the baby to die, or at least preparing for it. Some part of him understood that Theich was doing what he needed to do but he couldn't help but feel a little resentful. He had never felt so helpless and alone. He tried to reach out with their bond; he knew that it was clumsy and inaccurate but he hoped that he could reach his mate.

----------------------------------------TNG-------------------------------

"Crusher to Troi"

"Troi here. How is the Captain?"

"He's awake. Deanna, there are more problems. I am going to have to deliver the baby. I have explained things to the Captain but Theich is still performing his ritual and I don't think that he should be alone for this. Can you come to Sickbay and be with him?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Troi out."

Beverley concentrated on prepping her staff. There was an unusual mood amongst the nurses and doctors. All procedures and operations were important, some were life and death, some were the life or death of friends. This procedure had a different feel to it though, it felt bigger than most of what had happened before in this Sickbay. Obviously, that feeling was partly because this moment was the one which they were living in. It was also because this was their Captain, they had never had to deal with the idea of the Captain's family before and now it was in their hands.

-------------------------------------TNG---------------------------------

Theich raised his eyes to meet his lover's, he continued chanting.

"I am here Jean-luc. I'm sorry but I have to do this. I am here though."

"Theich, I need you."

"I'm here."

"In my head. I'm sorry, I know why you are doing this but the part of me that's about to collapse just wants you to hold me."

Theich despaired at the sight of his mate's tears. He had to resist the physical urge to stand up and go to him but this was bigger than their pain. He needed to ensure that he did the best he could for their child. This could well be the only action he would ever take as a Redidg.

Again the night lighting blurred the lines of those still awake. The shadow stopped shortly before the foot of the biobed, his head casting darkness across Jean-luc's feet.

"How's this for omniscience ?"

Jean-luc peered at the man as he moved around to his left side, standing directly opposite Theich's position. He recognised that there were many emotions that he should be feeling about the presence of the entity but he couldn't seem to care.

"Not pleased to see me Jean-luc?"

"Q. This is not the time."

"The time? You are usually so much more eloquent; that was incredibly non-specific. The time for what? A chat? A nice bowl of hot chocolate? You see, I was thinking that it was exactly "the time" – there really is no other."

"Q…"

"Shhhh. You say I cause you nothing but grief. You have surprised me often enough; I find that it is time for payback."

Q held his hands over Jean-luc's stomach. He could easily snap his fingers but he was nothing if not a showman. He considered making his hands glow but the fear and desperation rolling off Jean-luc was too much. He enjoyed the game; he didn't actually want to win, just to continue. He busily convinced himself that this was all about getting Jean-luc back into action so that they could continue their fencing match as he gently placed his palms against the thin sheet covering his playmate. Reaching out with his consciousness, he restored the function of the placenta and smoothed all evidence of the earlier rupture and operation. It took less than a second to repair the damage and a fraction more to remove all toxins from their bodies. As he withdrew his hands, he applied a skill that he had previously kept in check and modified the melatonin levels in Jean-luc's brain and then in the baby's. As the man slipped calmly into sleep, Q leaned over and whispered "Sleep well my friend.". Jean-luc was already asleep but the tired Nashiran at his side was wide awake and had stopped chanting.

"What did you do?"

"I fixed him."

"What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what I said. Everything that was wrong is now fixed."

Theich reached out with the bond and felt Jean-luc's mind respond. He was asleep but seemed to be physically and mentally sound. Turning back to the entity, who had been portrayed to him as a malevolent presence, he couldn't help but wonder what the game plan was.

"Why? I mean, you have my gratitude. All of it, every ounce of gratitude that I could possibly muster up, but I have to wonder why."

"Well, I am nothing if not an enigma. Why do set mazes for my little lab rats? Why do I cause them grief? Why do they always learn something from our encounters? Why have I helped them at times? Why did I flag their existence to the Borg? It is not for me to answer. The mystifying is always frustrating, but it is usually also rewarding."

Theich shook his head.

"Are you the same Q that usually comes visiting?"

"I am"

"You aren't a bit like I expected. Yesterday too, you were helping us."

"Perhaps it's just your perspective. Ask another crewman and I am sure they will blame me for the existence of the space-well. In fact, there are three hundred and seventy eight crewpersons who specifically believe that I created the well in order to be a nuisance. Two hundred and forty three of those believe that I did it to annoy their Captain in particular."

"So you are saying that I see you differently because I didn't experience these previous encounters?"

"Well, yes obviously that is true. Everything they have said about me is true, in fact, but they are missing many pieces of the puzzle. They come close to understanding at times, but they only grasp it in small chunks which they attribute to specific incidents and not to the bigger picture. I am "the meddler" but they fail to see why I am the meddler. Meddling is bad, everyone should have the free and equal right to stumble forth on shaky legs without guidance, without the lessons which others have learnt from being imposed upon them against their will because woe betide one should get in the way of them making all the mistakes for themselves. There is always a lesson in what I do and the human race is one of the few in the universe which truly learns and appreciates that learning. They might not appreciate the teaching methods and they might resent the enforced nature of it and miss half of the point, but they do respond."

"So you set lessons – there's no lesson here."

"No, but nor is it contrary to my previous behaviour. Jean-luc and I have had a similar encounter to this before. He was dying, in the line of duty and all that, but dying nonetheless. I put a lesson in there, but not allowing him to die was an intervention of a similar nature. I do not explain 'why' I would do such things or what they mean and I do not usually talk to the humans as I am talking to you now. I have no intention of opening up to you; I merely want you to trust that everything will be alright now."

"Shouldn't you be saying all this to Jean-luc?"

"Oh now that really would spoil all the fun wouldn't it."

There was the ghost of a smile on his fabricated lips and then suddenly and strangely silently the figure was gone and Theich rose to take a seat by his mate. He took one hand in his own, stroking Jean-luc's fingers with his thumb in a mindless calming action and placed his other hand on the swell of his mate's stomach. Trust? Trust worked when all was well and it did exist somewhere amidst Theich's gratitude, but would it hold any meaning when things got rough again? Theich blinked and laid his head on Jean-luc's shoulder. He only had to stay awake until Beverley returned, he could tell her what had happened and then get some sleep. He wasn't going anywhere though, he would stay right here, right by Jean-luc.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Apologies for the long wait. I did put a message on my profile explaining – I am an English teacher and I have new responsibilities. I have also been doing some filming for a television programme and had personal responsibilities and deadlines for my professional writing. This has all left me with very little free time. So, you have my profuse apologies but my updates will be less frequent now. I shall try to update once a fortnight.

A/N2: You should have gotten this days ago but went all screwy and wouldn't let me upload the document.

**Chapter 10.**

"He must have an agenda."

Beverley turned her gaze towards the first officer and noted the strained expression. She raised an eyebrow in question to Deanna, who just grimaced and shrugged.

"Well, whatever his agenda is, the Captain is now completely healed. There is no need to deliver the baby and his system is completely free of toxins. I didn't even have grounds to keep him in sickbay. I've booked him off duty for another two days to make sure that he and Theich both have a chance to deal with the trauma of the situation but he's fit for duty if needs be."

Will took his seat, carefully leaving the Captain's usual place empty and frowned.

"I'll inform the crew that all is well. We still need to consider Q a threat though. I can't believe that he didn't have a reason for doing this…"

"Theich said that he wanted to help."

"Deanna, Theich doesn't know Q. He doesn't know what he's capable of and how much trouble he will cause for his own amusement."

"If I may interject here Sir?"

"Yes Data?"

"Q does often cause us trouble, however, he usually states a purpose in doing so. He does not pursue a course without reason…"

"Exactly!"

"But Sir, he has stated no lesson to be learnt. Nor has he declared that there is something that we do not understand. He informed us of the bear trap and then left us to find it. Usually he is more meddlesome, but there is always a stated purpose. He also rarely lies outright. If he stated that he wished to help, then after examining his previous behaviour in encounters with our crew, I would be inclined to believe him. It is, of course, possible that he is lying and does indeed have an ulterior motive, but I believe it would be out of character."

"Out of character for Q to lie?"

"Yes Sir."

Will ran a hand through his hair and stared at his crew. Data seemed to be the only one convinced that Q was on the level, although Deanna was obviously considering the possibility. Q being helpful, it just couldn't pan out in any pleasant way, could it? There was the remote possibility that Q's experiences as a human being had taught him something about them that would lead to helpful behaviour but his habitual wariness of the immortal just couldn't keep the distrust and indignance at bay, no matter how much he had helped the Captain. With anyone other than Q he would have considered his own behaviour ungrateful, but it was Q.

Will waved a weary hand to dismiss the meeting. There was nothing that they could investigate, they would just have to wait and see what Q did next.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTNGxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jean-luc threw the book he was reading down and looked over his shoulder at his mate. He was tending to one of the veinlings that had finally been delivered, most were being planted in the new hydroponics bay but Theich was determined that all of those delivered would survive their journey.

"Do you have to do that now Theich?"

Theich briefly looked up, keeping the syringe sticking out of a tubulous root steady as his eyes failed to connect with Jean-luc's.

"Yes, it'll die if I don't resolve the hydration problem now. They should have kept them at a lower temperature, it was just too damn hot on that transport vessel."

His tone was distracted and Jean-luc frowned, too concerned to ignore the failed eye contact.

"For God's sake, I've just come out of sickbay after nearly losing our child and you're sitting there like we've spent too much time together and need to get on with some neglected work."

Theich put the syringe down on the table but didn't look up. If Jean-luc could have seen his eyes, he would have seen the pain evident in his unfocused gaze. As it was he sighed and left the living area for their bedroom. The relationship was too important for him to push as far as he would like to. He would have liked to storm and rage and demand some answers. He would have liked to pick Theich up and shake him.

He was lying in bed unable to sleep when Theich eventually came through to the bedroom.

"Jean-luc?"

There was no answer but Theich could tell from his breathing that he was still awake. He sat on the edge of the bed, inches from his mate.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. Part of me wants to just carry on as normal, hoping that that makes everything okay and doesn't chance fate to test us further but mostly I just feel guilty. I feel guilty for the way I made you feel, for not being able to be there to hold your hand and share your tears, for not being able to stop what happened or prevent it. I know that there was nothing to be done, that I can't cloister you away like a precious and delicate flower, that you need to do your job to be yourself and to be happy with your life BUT I felt utterly helpless and all I could do was chant in a religious ritual that meant nothing to you. I feel useless. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Jean-luc remained immobile for a moment and then turned to face his mate. His pain was written clearly on his face. Theich sucked in his breath audibly. He had envisioned many things with Jean-luc, prayed for possibilities but one never includes the true moments of pain when one imagines what might lie ahead. He had never wanted to cause such pain and the fact that it was so evident on Jean-luc's face now was a testament to how far their relationship had come.

"Jean-luc, I love you so much. I don't know what to say. The last couple of days have been an emotional overload and I know that I should have been more supportive. All I can say is that I am sorry and that it won't happen again."

"I need to know that you are with me. I cannot go through times like these alone. I understand what you were doing and why you were doing it, I know that it was important to you but I need more and I cannot deal with this emotional distance right now. Whatever your feelings and problems are, I need to share them so that I at least know where you are. Without that, I will be thinking the worst. Do you understand that?"

Theich curled up on the bed around his mate, resting his hands against the bulk of his belly.

"Of course I understand, that's why I am apologising. Jean-luc, you mean the world to me. I love you more than my own life."

"Marry me then."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Marry me. I know it isn't the most romantic scenario but…"

"On my world a commitment is all that is necessary, the bond acts in the manner of your matrimonial laws but I understand how that might be important to you…"

"I want it to be important to you too."

"It is, even if only through my connection with you."

"Then?"

"In my mind we are already married but I would be honoured to undergo your cultural ritual too."

"Could you make that a little colder and more clinical?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, but still…"

"Right, well, short of quoting Shakespeare for you, a pledge of my devotion will have to do. You are the light of life, fire of my loins…"

"That's not Shakespeare, that's Vladimir Nabokov; I am hardly an underage schoolgirl and you are definitely no Humbert Humbert."

"What? Oh for F…. I'm trying to be romantic for you and all you can do is criticise my quoting skills. I did say 'short of quoting Shakespeare'.."

"Well, you're usually the gushing one amongst us. I ask you to marry me, you mention Shakespeare and then give me love quotes from a pedophile. I'm over sixty and you're nearly eighty …"

"Do you ever think that maybe you are a little too analytical? That maybe you need to get the nose OUT of the books?"

"No."

"No, I didn't think so. Well 'I love you' and 'yes' is just going to have to do then, now that you've clinicised the mood so much."

"I've clinicised the mood? You're the one who was sitting with a bloody syringe whilst ignoring me."

"I was not ignoring you. I was having an existential crisis."

"Don't be so fucking pretentious."

"Can you write that one down for me? I want that chronicled for future abuse."

"You bast…"

Theich claimed Jean-luc's mouth with his own and initiated the link between them, thereby eliminating all possible misunderstandings. As he trailed his way down the opening in Jean-luc's nightshirt he thought he heard a mumbled "..ard."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTNGxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beverley stopped her revision of the bioscans. So far she had been unable to ascertain what Q had done. She had hoped that she would discover a scientific process that had reversed the effects of the Captain's injuries but as yet, it all seemed like magic. No matter how much Q claimed to be a God, the scientist in Beverley knew that it was merely a higher understanding of science and nature and the evolutionary adaption necessary to manipulate matter in accordance with that understanding. She had hoped that something as simple as a Q-style medical procedure would open up the process for comprehension, or at the very least give some data that would begin the process of working out how he worked.

The dampening of her frustration through five hours of analysis had not paid off in the way that she had hoped. There was something familiar about the reconstructed matter at the cellular level though. She racked her brain for any hint of where she might recognise this cellular structure from but it seemed to elude her.

Then she left the computer screen and looked at actual cell samples through the magnifier. Something in the act of creating a slide and looking through the scope triggered something in her memory. She called up old files from her days at medical school, running through all of her research projects to see if the trigger linked to a metaphorical bullet. She found it under her rejected final year dissertation proposals. Intergalactic cells - How the occurrence of the same form of cellular structure in all humanoid life forms could support the Gatherer theory.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: To quote the great Picard himself – "Enjoy!"

Chapter 11.

Theich gently flicked modified soil over the exposed roots of the mimetic plant that he was working on. The reaction to the injected bio-manipulatory cell samples seemed to be as normal; there were no adverse reactions within the plant. At this rate they would be ready for a localised test of the veinwork with a month. He sat back on his haunches and brushed the soil from his fingers as he looked back over his shoulder.

Jean-luc was resting in a soft lounger chair as his fiancé worked on his beloved plants. He was turned slightly on one side, reading a Henry James classic, one hand rested absent-mindedly against the large swell of his belly.

"How's Beverley's research going?"

Jean-luc grunted and readjusted his position to face Theich.

"She's not giving up on the idea. The cells do match quite accurately, I'll give her that but the idea this theory that the Q have something to with the Gatherers is a little far-fetched in my opinion. The Gatherer theory suggests that humanoid DNA was seeded throughout the universe by one race, known to us as The Gatherers, and that we all share common ancestors in them. The flaws come in there, for a start the Q are not humanoid, they just assume humanoid forms when interacting with those cultures. Then there are the sociological differences, the mindset just doesn't match – why aid in the creation and evolution of these races only to go back and torment them?"

"Perhaps it only seems like torment. Perhaps there are some higher goals that guide these encounters."

Jean-luc rolled his eyes.

"Oh not you too. I may not be unbiased here but I just cannot envisage the Q as some benevolent God-like race spreading genes across the galaxy."

"Well, they are God-like, you have to admit that but who ever proved that The Gatherers were benevolent? The theory hasn't been explored for nigh on a century, if my memory serves me right. We have no clear clues to their motivations at all, in fact we can't even prove that they existed – except for this common cell structure thing. AND what if they did do it and the Q were the Gatherers? Wouldn't that explain their continued interference and interest?"

Jean-luc groaned. It was Theich's turn to roll his eyes; what was it with these humans and the Q? Theich was about to respond with another point when Jean-luc groaned again, this time it became a cry. Theich was by his side in a second.

"Jean-luc? What…"

Theich's eyes widened as a patch of wetness spread across the front of Jean-luc's clothes and across the cushions of his seat. He tried to take his lover's hand but the fingers were firmly wrapped around the armrest, knuckles turning white. After a few huffed breaths and a rather intense stare torpedoed past clenched teeth, Theich slapped his chest hard enough to restart his heart, had it stopped.

"Dal Meritan to Crusher."

"Crusher here."

"Jean-luc's in labour, we're in Veinworks Hydroponics. We definitely need one of those floating bed things – now!"

The general rustle of movement could be heard over the comm link.

"We're on our way Theich. Keep him calm, help him to breathe evenly and stay calm yourself. Have his waters broken?"

"Yes, just now. He's having contractions."

Jean-luc's first uncontrolled cry of pain punctuated the relay of information clearly.

"Okay, we're nearly there. Try and get him to sit up and we'll transfer him to the gurney."

Beverley rushed through the doors of the hydroponics bay within minutes of finishing her last instruction. Jean-luc was between contractions and mobile but he didn't argue as he was manoeuvred onto the gurney.

He closed his eyes not in pain but embarrassment as he was floated through the corridors of his own ship. Within seconds any officers that had seen him would have passed on the news and by the time he arrived at sickbay he had no doubt that the entire crew would know that he was in labour. Scuttlebutt could work in one's favour at times, but this was possibly not one of them. He would have liked to have kept this private until he had his child safely in his arms.

Theich didn't notice the interested and amazed looks that they received as they travelled towards sickbay, he was focussed entirely on his mate, ready to do and say whatever needed to be done or said. He had imagined that he would proudly smile and nod and let them know that they would all be informed as soon as the baby was born, but suddenly they ceased to matter. There just wasn't enough room for everyone else in his consideration.

Will Riker and Deanna Troi were waiting in sickbay when they arrived. Will tried to speak to his Captain but was brushed off and ignored as the party went straight through to a private room and locked the door. Deanna pulled him away as he moved to follow and indicated that they should sit and wait.

The Captain's cries could not be heard through the soundproofed walls of the private room, so it was intensely silent, as waiting rooms should be. Nothing but an air of expectation and absent information to cling on to. Will quickly began to pace. Deanna smothered her amusement at his adoption of the classic "father" movement.

Inside the personal sickbay Jean-luc felt he had lost all dignity as he screamed, irrespective of the presence of two ship's nurses.

Kneeling on all fours on the biobed was the most comfortable position for the moment and having been quickly changed into a medical gown, Beverley had easy access in that position to check that everything was going well. She discreetly taped unnecessary body parts out of the way and examined Jean-luc's 'new' equipment.

It was lucky that the Nashiran genes were capable of modifying the 'mother' in such a way. It truly was a species that had genetically evolved to maximise the chances of sustaining that species. It seemed odd that such a people would have so much trouble procreating in the first place, when their genes were capable of adapting any gender of any species to be able to carry and deliver their young.

"Jean-luc, you are seven centimetres dilated. The labour is progressing quite rapidly, I don't think that it will be long before you feel the urge to push. We should know when that time is approaching, but don't worry, you are not alone, we will be doing everything we can to help you."

Jean-luc groaned as another contraction hit him, he began to rock backwards and forwards, the motion seemed to distract him from the pain if not lessen it a little.

He felt cold metal press against his spine and heard the hiss of a hypospray.

"This epidural is short lived and I can counteract it if labour progresses more rapidly than I anticipate. It should ease the pain for now but you will need to lie down while you continue to dilate because it interferes with the nerve messages to and from the brain and you won't be able to feel your legs properly."

Theich helped Jean-luc to lie back on the biobed. He looked slightly more relaxed as he did so, the epidural kicking in and muting the pain. He kissed his mate's forehead and found his hand grasped tightly as Jean-luc briefly had time to connect with other people and share his fear and pain.

The reprieve was short lived. Jean-luc dilated quickly as the efficient Nashiran genes controlled the process to try and ensure a live birth. Beverley had to counter the epidural when the baby's head began to push through the temporary cervix. Jean-luc needed to feel the pain so that he would feel the urge to push.

Theich climbed onto the biobed behind him, assuming the traditional birthing position of a Nashiran father by cradling his mate's body against him to lend extra strength. For once, Jean-luc had absolutely no problems whatsoever with Nashiran traditions and adjusted his own position to take full advantage of this new support.

They both testily waved away interfering nurses who regularly ventured too close as they took readings and tried to help in unwelcome ways. The two men felt their world shrink to a space which only included themselves and the forthcoming event. Jean-luc followed the natural urges that the pain prompted and continued to push with all his strength; Theich held him and helped to brace him as he strained to bring their child out into this minute microcosm of care.

After what seemed like an eternity of suspended time in which there was nothing but pain and pushing a new sound entered the world and changed the very fabric of it. A sound almost holy in the reverence it inspired. The sound of Alpha, the sound of Ohm, the sound of Aslan waking up an empty place to create something that had never been before. Inside a moment when sound could bring everything to life with new breath and flesh and purpose. A single cry from miraculous lungs; a focus tighter in consideration and in heart than either man had experienced in their previous lives. They emerged from the cocoon.

"You have a son!"


End file.
